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Jayde Nicole: Workout while at the Office

By Jayde NicoleDecember 7, 2011

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In this week's Workout Wednesday, Jayde has some tips for staying in shape at the office.

Welcome to Workout Wednesdays, the new Playboy.com fitness blog by Jayde Nicole—personal trainer, fitness nutritionist, health nut, TV personality and, last but not least, Playboy’s 2008 Playmate of the Year. Check back each week for Jayde’s latest tips, and be sure to visit her all-new fitness website JaydeNicole.com.

Jayde has been everywhere this past week, from the red carpet to Vegas and she even managed a little Thanksgiving dinner in between. Check out her latest pics in the gallery.

This Week: Workout while at the Office

Do you sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day? Have a long commute? No time to workout? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you must read this. Instead of it derailing your workout plans, you could use that commute and time at work to increase your stamina, muscle strength and overall health. It so simple and easy, everyone can do it!

Small Tips, Big Impact!

*Always have a glass of water at your desk! Hydrated bodies are happy bodies. So many people snack at work because they mistake their thirst for hunger.

*Get up from your desk once an hour and do a loop of your office. Hand deliver messages instead of always sending an email or take a trip to the water cooler to fill up your glass.

*No matter what floor you are on, always take the stairs! You wont believe the difference it makes just by taking the stairs in your building twice a day!

*Join a gym near your office. This way you can hit the gym on your lunch break or right after work before the long drive home tires you out. This may also help you avoid rush hour!

*Practice correct posture when sitting at your desk. One of the most unattractive things a person can have is bad posture! Strengthen your abs, upper back and several other muscles by holding your perfect posture all day.

*Park far away from your building’s entrance so you get a brisk walk on your way in and when you leave. Every little bit helps!

*Keep yourself cool. Studies show that if your body has to warm itself up all day you will naturally burn more calories without doing any extra work!

*Go out to lunch instead of ordering in. Pick a healthy spot you can walk to and sneak in some extra exercise.

Use your commute! If you live close enough, try to walk or bike ride to work. It will save you money and the hassle of traffic and parking. If you take the subway, try getting off one stop early and walking the rest of the way.

Exercise tools at your desk!

*Get yourself a hand gripper. They are inexpensive, small and will fit in your desk drawer. When you are reading emails give this a squeeze to strengthen your forearms.

*Trade out your office chair for a stability ball. They have specific ones designed for the office now. The have a base so they don’t roll away. This is a great workout for your core all day long!

*Grab a resistant band. You can do hundreds of different exercises with these great tools. They are easy and very portable. Work on your biceps or triceps while on the phone, sculpt your shoulders while reading over contracts and tone your quads while sending a fax!

*Ankle weights are a great way to sneak in some extra calorie burn. You can even hide them under your pants. The added weight will help tone your legs as you walk around the office, especially if you do the stairs!

Want to step it up a notch?

Here are some great exercises for the office! Doing these exercises for even 60 seconds at a time helps your body burn extra calories all day long. It puts your body into activity mode instead of storage mode so even when you eat, your body will burn more calories for energy use instead of storing them as fat.

*Lunges- These can be done as walking lunges down a hallway or as standing lunges in your office or cubicle. This will get your heart rate up and work your glutes and legs.

*Calf Raises- Get your blood pumping through that body. Sitting for long periods at a time can cause numbness and even blood clots. This simple exercise can be done standing anywhere and really helps to increase blood flow and build sexy toned calf muscles.

*Running on the Spot- Do some 60-second sprints in place to get your heart rate up and burn some calories. If you want to step up the intensity try to bring your knees up high while you jog.

*To strengthen your chest, put your hands together at about chin level, squeeze, hold for 2-3 seconds, release and repeat. Try to do at least 25 of these. Seems simple but if you do this 3-5 times a day you will notice a change in no time!

*Take 2 minutes out of your day to run a stair drill. If you wear uncomfortable dress shoes to work, make sure you bring your running shoes for this. Take to the stairs and run up two, back down quickly (but safe) and then back up again, skipping every other stair.

Finish your hard workday with some stretching!

With all this working out and computer work you are bound to be in some serious need of a stretch. Start at the top with your neck and work your way down, shoulders, arms, back, don’t skip any muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Talk about multi-tasking! In this crazy fast paced world we live in, we need to make our bodies and our health a priority! After all, we only get one! So get out there and make some changes, talk to your co-workers and make it an office must. Your body will thank you!

Have questions or suggestions for an upcoming Workout Wednesday? Message me on Twitter (@Jayde_Nicole) or in the Locker Room at JaydeNicole.com.